Anwar Khalifa grew up in Dallas and moved to East Texas out of High School. He attended Kilgore College where he received an Associate of Science degree. He then attended Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. To further his education, Anwar attained a Masters degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. After working as a project engineer and sales engineer, he entered the home-building business in 1993

He is especially proud of his Graduate Master Builder designation, which he earned through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 1998. Anwar received his Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation in May 2008 and his Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) designation in January 2009, both from the NAHB. Anwar is the first CGP in East Texas.

Having purchased a custom home himself, Mr. Khalifa understands his customers’ needs and concerns. He strives to make his customer’s building/buying experience as pleasant and smooth as possible, he wants them to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

He is a member of the Tyler Area Builder’s Association, Texas Association of Builders, National Association of Home Builders, The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, Greater Tyler Association of Realtors, the Women’s Council of Realtors, Habitat for Humanity Construction Committee, Smith County Republican Club, and Leadership Tyler – Class 19. Pyramid Homes is an insevtor in the Tyler Economic Development Council.

Anwar believes strongly in serving the community. He served as a volunteer chaplain for the Tyler Police Department; he is on the steering committee for the Tyler Ministerial Alliance; he serves or has served on the boards of Adapt (2010 President), the Freedom & Justice foundation, the Council on American Islamic Relations DFW, the East Texas Islamic Society, and the building committee for Tyler Museum of Art. Anwar is curently working with Dr. Jerome R. Milton on building the Datie Florence Brown Children’s Home, an emergency foster home.

Governor Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Human Rights Commission in March of 2004. He served his term from 2004-2009.

Anwar received the Martin Luther King award for Non Violent Social Change in January 2005 and the TB Butler Outstanding Citizen of the Year award in October 2005 for his work in getting the Muslim & Jewish communities together to build a Habitat for Humanity House for a Christian family.

Anwar received the Businessman of the Year 2003 Award from National Republican Congressional Committee.

If you have the opportunity Anwar would like for you to take the time to view the business web site at www.anwarkhalifa.com.

Rick Santorum answers questions at a news conference at the statehouse, Feb. 13, 2012, in Olympia, Wash.Rick Santorum has pulled slightly ahead of Mitt Romney in Republican primary voters’ preference for the presidential nomination, a national CBS News/New York Times Poll shows.

Santorum has the support of 30 percent of GOP primary voters in the poll, following by Romney at 27 percent. Ron Paul is now in third at 12 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich at 10 percent.

Just three points over Romney, Santorum’s lead in the national survey is within the poll’s margin of error.

The socially conservative former Pennsylvania senator received the backing of just 16 percent of Republican primary voters in a similarly worded question last month, leaving him in third place behind Gingrich.

In the poll, Santorum receives strong backing from conservatives, tea party supporters and white evangelicals.

Self-identified conservatives divided their support among the candidates in January, but in this poll they appear to be coalescing solidly behind Santorum. He receives far more support from this group than Romney does, and conservative support for Santorum has increased since last month. (see the chart at left)

Support for Gingrich among conservatives is now half of what it was in January, just before his victory in the South Carolina primary.

Santorum also leads the Republican field among tea party supporters, who make up more than four in 10 Republican primary voters, as well as evangelical Christians. Evangelicals were key to Santorum’s narrow win in Iowa last month.

In January’s national poll, tea party supporters divided their support between Romney (with 29 percent) and Gingrich (28 percent), while Santorum trailed with just 18 percent. Now, 36 percent of Tea Party supporters back Santorum, and 24 percent back Romney. In the January poll, 23 percent of white evangelicals backed Santorum. That support has now jumped to 39 percent.

Still, 60 percent of Republican primary voters nationwide say they could still change their minds about whom to support – so the race remains fluid.